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You don’t have to have a discerning palate to know that edible gifts are truly the best kind. Here, 10 tasty, Colorado-made picks for the food-lover on your list.
Exotic Rum-Based Bitters
Montanya Distillers might be best known for its Rocky Mountain rums, but did you know it also produces a superb selection of bitters? According to the Crested Butte-based company, these might be some of the only rum-based bitters in the world. Flavors include pineapple-habanero, Thai chile, cherry black pepper, fig cinnamon, and Paonia apple; just a few drops will instantly add pleasantly bitter complexity to any cocktail, tea, or sparkling water.
$10 per bottle or $95 for a gift basket, which includes six bottles of bitters, two Montanya shot glasses, and a branded cocktail shaker (pictured above), available at montanyarum.com
Photo courtesy of Red Tettemer O’Connell & Partners
Limited Edition Colorado Booze
For the true liquor snob in your life, a bottle of rare TuB Hoppy Plum Gin will both surprise and delight. This limited release tipple is the result of an unlikely partnership of Palisade-based Peach Street Distillers and bi-coastal indie ad agency Red Tettemer O’Connell & Partners. The marriage of smooth gin, plum eau de vie, and hops is unique, sure—but it’s also plenty easy to drink thanks to the gentle botanicals and playfully fruity finish.
$32.99 to $34.99, available at area liquor stores that stock Peach Street Distillers
Health-Conscious Meat Bars
While a meat and veggie bar may seem like an odd gift choice, trust us when we say that these wholesome snack bars make the perfect stocking stuffers. Made with 100 percent grass-fed beef, natural lamb, or free-range turkey, these Paleo-friendly bars are the perfect fuel for that active Colorado lifestyle. We’re partial to the Mediterranean lamb bars with turmeric and spinach.
$2.99 per bar, available at most Colorado grocers and wildzora.com
Photo courtesy of Binnie’s Coconut Butter
Eat-It-By-the-Spoonful Coconut Butter
Thornton resident Lindsay Binnie’s vegan coconut butter may be healthy, but it certainly doesn’t taste like it. Binnie’s Coconut Butter is made with coconut meat and oil, sweetened with agave nectar, and flavored with cinnamon, vanilla, or chocolate. A spoonful of this creamy spread is an excellent source of healthy fats. Use it as you would peanut butter; it adds creamy decadence to your morning oatmeal or smoothie and is also great simply eaten with graham crackers or apple slices.
$12.99, available at binniescoconutbutter.com
A Boozy Chocolate Truffle
Sure, chocolates might not be the most creative holiday gift idea, but you really can’t go wrong with Durango-based Animas Chocolate Company’s crowd-pleasing creations. These gorgeous truffles are often named for Colorado landmarks (Ironton, Sunlight Peak, Snowdon Peak, etc.) and include fillings such as Meyer lemon-infused white chocolate and absinthe salted caramel. Whatever you do, don’t miss the Colorado Cache truffle, which took home the bronze medal at this year’s International Chocolate Awards. The caramel filling in this beauty is infused with Durango’s Honeyville raw honey and Honey House Distillery’s Honey Whiskey.
$38 for a 16-piece box of truffles, available at animaschocolatecompany.com
Photo courtesy of Breckenridge 9600
The Perfect Bloody Mary Mix
Finding a just-right Bloody Mary mix is no easy task. Some are too thin, some are overly sweet, and others are downright bland. Although Breckenridge 9600 originally began as a barbecue sauce company, its bottled Bloody mix nails the perfect consistency and balance of savory flavors. Simply stir it with vodka for an unbeatable take on the classic.
$10.99 for 25 ounces, available at breck9600.com
Photo courtesy of Birch Benders
A Pancake Mix With a Seasonal Twist
Snowy holiday mornings just wouldn’t be the same without a stack of fluffy, hot-off-the-griddle pancakes. With Birch Benders’ all-natural, Colorado-made pancake mixes, cooking breakfast is a snap (the mixes only require water). Better yet, the festive flavors are perfect for ringing in the season. We love the not-too-sweet Pumpkin Spice, Sweet Potato, and Gingerbread Spice varieties, all of which are available through the end of December.
$3.99 to $5.99, available at Target and birchbenders.com
Perfectly roasted Corvus beans make the perfect gift. —Photo courtesy of Corvus Coffee Roasters
The Coffee Membership that Keeps on Giving
What’s better than giving a bag of direct-trade craft coffee? Gifting a Corvus Coffee membership. Sign up the coffee fanatic in your life for a three or six-month gift subscription and they’ll get a monthly supply of freshly roasted single-origin coffees from the acclaimed Denver roaster delivered right to their doorstep.
From $16 per month, available at corvuscoffee.com
Photo courtesy of Gnome Woodworks
The Conversation-Starting Cutting Board
While just about everything at RiNo’s new chef-curated culinary store Carbon Knife Company is gift-worthy (check out the high-end collection of domestic and Japanese knives), we’re smitten with Hidden Gnome Woodworks‘ eye-catching cutting boards. Made by Colorado woodworkers, these boards are masterfully crafted with layers of cherry, walnut, and maple wood. While they make a beautiful base for cheese platters, they’re also functional for everyday slicing and dicing.
From $25, available at Carbon Knife Company, 3264 Larimer St.; 720-292-4277; carbonknifeco.com or hiddengnomecolorado.com
Photo courtesy of Fireworks Finishing Butters
A Flavor-Packed Finishing Butter
Butter up your friends and family members with the gift of Fireworks Finishing Butters. Boulder’s Jessica Pratt Jacobson’s decadent compound butters come in three flavors: classic steakhouse, chipotle tomato, and miso ginger. The flavor-packed spreads (made with butter from grass-fed cows) instantly upgrade any steak, toast, sandwich, pasta, or other culinary creation.
$12, available at Cured Boulder, 1825 Pearl St., Boulder; 720-389-8096; curedboulder.com and fireworksfinishingbutters.com.
